Klay Thompson shows why Warriors are still the Splash...

1of2Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) makes the two-point field goal in the first half of an NBA game against the Denver Nuggets at Oracle Arena on Friday, March 8, 2019, in Oakland, Calif.Photo: Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

2of2Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) shoots a three-point field goal in the first half of an NBA game against the Denver Nuggets at Oracle Arena on Friday, March 8, 2019, in Oakland, Calif.Photo: Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

Thompson strolled back into the picture Friday night, after missing the previous two games with soreness in his right knee. That’s exactly what the Warriors needed — he scored 39 points (including 9-of-11 from 3-point land) and played typically tenacious defense in a 122-105 victory over Denver.

On a team with former MVPs in Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, and a defensive maestro in Draymond Green, maybe Thompson is the most indispensable player of all. He restored order after a tumultuous stretch in which the Warriors lost five of eight games and seemed in danger of losing their mojo.

They absorbed an embarrassing 128-95 loss to Boston on Tuesday night, after which head coach Steve Kerr rightly questioned his team’s effort. The defeat and recent skid renewed chatter about the fragility of Golden State’s powerhouse, as the Warriors chase their fourth NBA championship in five years.

What’s wrong? Why can’t the Warriors play defense? Could they snap back into form before the playoffs, which begin in only five short weeks?

“I have not one bit of concern in my body,” Thompson said at Friday’s shootaround. “We have too much experience and too much talent. As the playoffs come closer, I think everyone will see what we’re made of.”

This season’s home stretch offers a fresh, formidable challenge to the understated tone Curry and Thompson long ago established in launching this powerhouse. They are reserved by nature, leaders by example, not prone to demonstrative outbursts (Green) or bristling at scrutiny (Durant).

The way Thompson and Curry carry themselves is important. They tend to show humility when the Warriors are rolling and patience when they’re struggling — and this sends a relevant message to their teammates and fans alike.

Thompson is vital in another way: He joins Green in anchoring Golden State’s hot-and-cold defense. The Warriors need Thompson smothering the opponent’s best perimeter player, chasing Gary Harris and Jamal Murray as he did Friday night, scrambling to help his teammates.

That dogged energy, missing Tuesday night, returned against the Nuggets in the person of No. 11. Thompson was engaged and energetic defensively, as usual.

“He impacted the game in so many ways,” said Kerr. “Obviously, he had 39 points, but it’s his defense, too, chasing ball handlers over those high screens, using his length and intelligence to make guys uncomfortable.”

Thompson produced one of his scorching, signature outbursts in the first half. He scored those 27 points in 19 minutes — shooting 9-for-13 from the field, including 6-for-7 on 3-pointers.

His shooting form might be textbook, but Thompson offered uncommon variety against the Nuggets. He made one stand-still, all-arms 3. Then, late in the first half, he took a pass from Curry deep in the corner and, while standing behind the basket, buried another 3 from a crazy angle.

Thompson made an impact in other ways, too. He blocked one Nikola Jokic shot, and he made a slick bounce pass to Andre Iguodala off a pick-and-roll for an emphatic, uncontested dunk.

These snapshots made perfect sense, because Thompson’s absence the past two games highlighted his value to the Warriors. They are 5-11 without him the past three seasons and 10-14 in his career.

Similarly, the Warriors tend to struggle when Curry is sidelined. They are 5-6 without him this season and 43-65 in his career. His poise and personality complement Thompson’s distinctive stoicism.

And there was Curry, after a quiet and sloppy first half, reappearing late in the third quarter. He drained a crazy-long 3-point shot to stretch the lead to 88-72, then celebrated with a stone-faced shimmy on his way back downcourt.

The Warriors are still the Splash Brothers, at their core.

“Steph brings a calm to the team, a sense of humor, and he brings a work ethic,” Kerr said before the game. “It’s really inspiring for me, day after day after day, to see Steph, Kevin and Klay getting in their (shooting) routine after practice. It’s an incredible example for our younger players.”

Curry and Durant justifiably command most of the headlines, but save a spot for Thompson. The Warriors, if they want to fulfill their historic ambitions, need him just as much.

Ron Kroichick has worked at the San Francisco Chronicle since 1995, when he came from the Sacramento Bee. In spring 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, he has temporarily moved to Metro to cover higher education and general-assignment news. In normal times, Kroichick is The Chronicle’s golf columnist, covering the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and all major championships in Northern California (including the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and 2020 PGA Championship at Harding Park). He also writes features on the Warriors during the NBA season, and on various other topics – ranging from the 49ers/NFL and major-league baseball to college football and basketball – the rest of the year.